Hodgeblot

Digital Comics

I was watching some CBR TV videos today and was struck by something in this video of Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso. Axel states that while digital comics sales are booming, he doesn’t see print comics ever being completely replaced by digital. This seems like someone living too close to print comics to see reality clearly.

Yes, I know both digital and print have had booming sales in parallel with each other this year. I suspect good movies like the Avengers and the Dark Knight Rises and things like the New 52 and Marvel Now have helped this. I’ve heard the arguments a million times that there’s nothing like holding a real comic in your hands. People have said this about regular books for the longest now, and I think we’re starting to clearly see digital sales overtake print in that category. Eventually, the coolness of the in-hand print book will wear off. It’s sooooo much cooler to take an entire collection of comics on your iPad everywhere you go.

I do think there will always be an audience for print comics, don’t get me wrong. The collector spirit in comics will carry on. I just think the majority of comics buying and reading will move to digital leaving print for the collector market. I could totally be wrong about this, but comics will certainly be the first medium to go digital and thrive in the physical after the fact if it does happen.

So what do the rest of you think? Will comics be largely digital in the future, or will print and digital comics continue to grow in parallel? Let me know what you think and also why you think so. Comment below or reblog and let me know.